Nintendo president says supply for Switch consoles in 2022 could be scarce

If you didn't get one in 2021, it's not looking good.
Nintendo Switch OLED device
Image via Nintendo

Amidst supply chain issues that have been present since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said it’s likely not going to get better in 2022 for Switch consoles.

Recommended Videos

The shortage is due to global supply chains that have been unable to produce semiconductors to make the devices, which is a direct result of the pandemic. Furukawa even said the company had to have Switch consoles airlifted to the U.S. to meet the demand for Black Friday.

The Switch saw an uptick in sales after the Nintendo Switch OLED model was released. But because of the issues that prevent Switch consoles from being made, sales will likely stagnate in the new year.

This isn’t just a Switch issue, either. Console sales for the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 have been constrained by supply chain issues, too. Since the consoles were released, fans who have wanted to purchase them are highly unlikely to find one. Some have bought consoles to later scalp them, resulting in inflated prices on third-party seller pages.

This also isn’t just a video game issue. Cars, phones, refrigerators, and other devices that are now advertised as “smart” have been struggling amid the shortage of semiconductors.

Analysts say that the issue is likely to continue into 2022, but supply shortages can be hard to predict and it’s unclear which devices will start to bounce back once the supply starts to re-emerge. Nintendo Switch consoles, among other video game consoles, will likely be difficult to purchase until well into 2022 at the earliest.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article CEO of former TSM, LCS sponsor FTX sentenced to 25 years in jail
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sporting a TSM jersey.
Read Article Sega of America employees successfully unionize in ‘watershed moment’ for the games industry
Sega of America union AEGIS-CWA logo
Read Article Borderlands developer Gearbox Software sells to Take-Two Interactive for a whole lot of money
Borderlands keyart
Related Content
Read Article CEO of former TSM, LCS sponsor FTX sentenced to 25 years in jail
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sporting a TSM jersey.
Read Article Sega of America employees successfully unionize in ‘watershed moment’ for the games industry
Sega of America union AEGIS-CWA logo
Read Article Borderlands developer Gearbox Software sells to Take-Two Interactive for a whole lot of money
Borderlands keyart
Author
Jessica Scharnagle
Jessica has been an esports and gaming journalist for just over five years. She also teaches esports journalism at Rowan University. Follow her for all things gaming, @JessScharnagle on Twitter.